Pages

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Catching fish in the mud

This was one of the sights that fascinated me when I lived in Bengal. I can remember seeing this in Mayapur after every rainy season when the ponds and ditches start drying out, especially in the Ganges flood plain. Gadadhar Pran had problems with people raiding a part of his property that usually contained fish flapping in the mud.

But even in the flood of 1977, I went with the cows to the Chaitanya Math because there was higher ground at Ballal Dighi, and I was amazed to see how many people were catching fish in the Ganges current as it came flowing over the road embankment. I guess they were thinking, our houses might go but at least we will have fish for dinner.

From Uddhava-sandesha (122):

“When the sun of separation
dries the lake of the heart
until all that is left are sands;
I know that your life, oh emaciated one,
like that of the fish,
is caught in your throat
and ready to escape.

And I, meanwhile, far away from you,
drown in the ocean of thirst
what can I do,
unable to cross the waters
of luxury and pleasure,
and held back by the forceful winds
of my numerous kinsfolk?

1 comment:

Anonymous
said...

namaskarone question please, unrelated to the post.in gita it says better to do ones own dharma poorly than to do anothers properly.I think that what one can do properly is a persons dharma, guna karma vibhagasa?